Prof Yonvitner: Indonesia Has Potential Losses if It Ignores Risk-Based Management of Coastal Seas and Small Islands
IPB University experts say Indonesia has a potential loss of Rp 110 trillion due to climate change if it neglects to carry out risk-based management of coastal and small islands. This was conveyed by IPB University Expert in the Field of Coastal and Marine Resource Management Science, Prof Yonvitner, in the Pre-Scientific Oration Press Conference of Professors conducted online on Thursday, 25/1.
The various potential risks were elaborated by Prof Yonvitner. He said that 25 percent of the state budget could be spent on disaster affairs if the development of coastal resource management of small islands does not consider risks.
He further elaborated on the potential impacts of coastal and marine risks due to climate change. “These risks include damage to coral reefs reaching 40-80 percent, increasing the number of species extinctions, damage to mangrove ecosystems by around 27 percent, rising sea levels, decreased water supplies, changes in fish biodiversity and so on,” said Prof Yonvitner.
This Professor of the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science (FPIK) IPB University explained that the implementation of policies in risky development has not been carried out comprehensively, even though there are 6 laws (UU) and 11 government regulations (PP) that regulate policies in risky development.
“Currently, policies in risky development only focus on risks from industrial activities. However, risks to ecosystems and spatially-based environments have not received sufficient attention because there are still plastics, climate-induced coral damage, tidal flooding in coastal areas, and subsidence,” he explained.
Prof Yonvitner emphasised that the elected presidential candidates in the future can have a strong commitment and can design development designs for coastal, marine, small islands, and fisheries by considering mainstream risks. “The three presidential candidates should also be able to touch the soul of damaged ecosystems, illegal fishing, and damage to small islands due to mining investments,” he said.
“I offer four control systems covering policy, space, technology, and management. The control system is important as our instrument to ensure that risk does not run wild and does not increase losses. Risk has only been considered a problem, whereas risk is a system and is transdisciplinary. For this reason, its existence requires recognition from all components to integrate in the realm of development” he explained (dh/lp) (IAAS/ZQA)
